Most of us think we’re better-looking and smarter than the average. And on the flip side, research suggests that many in the UK’s top 10% of earners think they’re getting middling pay.
Something about being labelled “average” seems hard for us to accept, even though, by nature, it’s the most likely position we’ll end up in; thinking you’re not normal might be the most ordinary assumption we have.
Then again, average is only a midpoint. Most of us will be in the top half of some metrics and in the bottom for others.
So, we thought we’d find the average of 22 measures across the UK – so now you can see how you really stand up.
Money
1) Salary
The median annual salary in the UK is £31,584 in 2026.
2) Debt (without mortgage)
In 2024, the median outstanding non-mortgage debt in the UK was £6,300 including student loans and £2,500 without student loans.
3) Rent
In 2025, average private rent in the UK was £1,424 in England, £822 in Wales, £1,018 in Scotland, and £873 in Northern Ireland.
4) Savings
In the UK, a Finder survey found the average savings by age in 2026 was:
18-24 – £2,69925-34 – £11,02335-44 – £13,37945-54 – £12,45255+ – £33,420.5) Monthly mortgage payment
That averages out to £1,355 in the UK in 2026.
Body
6) Height
In 2024, the UK average height was:
175.8 centimeters (just over 5’9”) for adult men, 162.1 centimeters (just under 5’4”) for adult women.7) Sex frequency
On average, sexually adult Brits have sex 1.1 times a week.
8) Exercise habits
Almost 66% of Brits exercise for an hour or more a week, but only 35% do so for three hours or more a week. 19% weight train, and 17% jog or walk.
9) 5k time
Most people don’t run at all. But of those that do, the UK average 5k finish times, by gender, are:
38 minutes for women, 29 minutes for men.10) Hair colour
In the UK, the average hair colour is brown.
11) Eye colour
The UK’s most common eye colour is blue.
12) Sleep duration
The most common sleep duration in the UK is seven hours a night.
13) Sexual partners
YouGov put the mean self-reported number of lifetime sexual partners at four in 2023; three for women, five for men.
14) Age
This was 40.5 in 2024.
15) Life expectancy
In 2024, this was:
83.0 years for women, 79.1 years for men.Mind
16) IQ
The average IQ in the UK is 101.57.
17) University degree grade
In the academic year 2024/25, the most common UK uni grade was a 2:1.
18) Books read a year
The median Brit reads or listens to three books a year.
Social life
19) Number of friends
Among adults, most said they have 10 friends or fewer.
20) Relationship status
In 2025, Statista found that most adults in England and Wales were classed as single (not married or in a civil partnership).
21) Household size
Most households in the UK have an average of 2.35 people.
22) Pets
More people in the UK have pets than don’t, with cats and dogs the most popular species.
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